Dangerous goods are substances that may be corrosive, flammable, explosive, spontaneously combustible, toxic, oxidizing, or water reactive. These goods can be deadly and can seriously injure or kill people, damage property and the environment. This course will allow participants to understand dangerous goods (also known as hazardous materials or hazmats) are substances or materials capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce. Identifying dangerous goods is the first step to reduce the risks posed by the product with proper packaging, communication, handling, and stowage. This is an important aspect of safety of life as well as cargo safety.

It is a practical and theoretical training course, aimed at helping the participating Masters and Deck Officers to make a more effective contribution to the safe and environmentally-sound oil tanker cargo and ballast handling operations. On completing the course, the trainees, will:

• Have acquired a greater awareness of the proper pre-planning, use of the Ship-Shore Safety Checklist and of the implementation of safe procedures during loading/discharge of crude oil and petroleum products,
• Be able to take precautions to prevent cargo-generated flammability, electrostatic and toxicity hazards,
• Be able to prepare, perform and monitor all cargo operations, including inerting and gas freeing, tank cleaning operations and crude oil washing,
• Have acquired experience in identifying operational problems and making decisions to solving them,
• Be better familiar with the cargo handling equipment, instrumentation, devices and alarms.

It is a practical and theoretical training course, aimed at helping the participating Masters and Deck Officers to make a more effective contribution to the safe and environmentally-sound chemical tanker cargo and ballast handling operations. On completing the course, the trainees, will:

• Have acquired a greater awareness of the proper pre-planning, use of the Ship-Shore
• Safety Checklist and of the implementation of safe procedures during loading/discharge of chemical products,
• Be able to take precautions to prevent cargo-generated flammability, electrostatic and toxicity hazards,
• Be able to prepare, perform and monitor all cargo operations, including inerting, gas freeing, and tank cleaning operations,
• Have acquired experience in identifying operational problems and making decisions to solving them,
• Be better familiarized with the cargo handling equipment, instrumentation, devices and alarms.

This training course primary is intended for Masters, Chief Officers and mates who are engaged in liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker cargo and ballast handling operations. On completing the course, the trainees, will:

• Plan and execute LNG tanker loading and unloading operations,
• Demonstrate a practical knowledge of LNG tankers and LNG tanker operations,
• Demonstrate knowledge of the carriage of liquefied methane and of the precautions during loading and unloading and care during the voyage,
• Demonstrate an understanding of the factors affecting trim, stability and stress as applicable to LNG tankers,
• Demonstrate a knowledge of maritime law embodied in international agreements and conventions.

This training course primary is intended for Masters, Chief Officers and mates who are engaged in liquefied petroleum gas tanker operations. On completing the course, the trainees, will:

• Plan and perform loading and discharging of liquefied petroleum gas cargo,
• Provide evidence of knowledge of the impact of cargo and cargo handling upon the seaworthiness and stability of a ship,
• Perform required stability, trim, and stress control,
• Provide evidence of knowledge of cargo handling equipment,
• Provide evidence of knowledge of principles and procedures for safe handling of ballast and bunkers,
• Provide evidence of knowledge of safe handling and stowage of dangerous, hazardous and harmful cargoes,
• Provide evidence of general knowledge of LPG tankers and LPG tanker operation.

In an industry that boasts a strong international presence, it is essential to have a common language that everyone on board a vessel can understand and communicate in. English is the most widely spoken language in the world, by counting both native and non-native speakers. Therefore, it makes sense that it is the official language of the maritime industry. If everyone is speaking the same language and using the same terminology it makes sense that communication will be clearer. Also, the need for a worldwide common language is necessary, for instance in an emergency trying to get the attention of nearby vessels. On ships with a multicultural crew, the need is more obvious, as also on a ship that is often sailing in foreign waters, dealing with foreign harbors and agents.

Maritime English, also known as Standard Maritime Communication Phrases (SMCP), is the lingua franca at sea so to speak, and is vitally important for a multitude of reasons; the safety of the crew, the efficiency of daily tasks and the integrity of the ship. By having specific terms to follow, Maritime English rules out any confusion that would arise if normal terms that are used in day-to-day life were to be uttered.

Maritime English course’s main purpose is to serve as a manifestation of foundation English along with unique phrases to allow ship to ship communication, ship to shore communication and internal communications on board a vessel.

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 73/78), is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. The Convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from ships and currently includes six technical Annexes.

The MARPOL 73/78 Awareness course is designed to provide prospective deck officers, engineer officers, electro-technical officers, shipping company’s personnel involved in education, training, recruitment, selection and development of maritime manpower, and other individuals serving either to the private or public sector, with the appropriate knowledge and understanding regarding the prevention of pollution of the marine environment.

It covers the pollution prevention requirements as mandated by the MARPOL 73/78 Convention, STCW Convention, ISM Code, Classification Societies, Flag States, USCG Code of Federal Regulations and all the applicable regulatory and statutory requirements.

Our Training Center, a leader in the field of maritime environmental issues, offers this course as a blend of theoretical and practical exercises.  After the training, the participants shall be able to:

• Discuss the objectives of MARPOL 73/78 and other International Conventions,
• Fully understand the permissible discharges and emissions according to MARPOL 73/78, as amended, Annexes I – VI,
• Effectively comply with the latest pollution prevention requirements, and observe the required procedures for monitoring the respective shipboard operations,
• Identify and avoid the most common deficiencies on board and wrong entries to the Record Books to prevent ships from being delayed due to PSC inspections,
• Explain responsibilities and obligations under international regulations aimed at preventing various forms of pollution by ships,
• Demonstrate competence in preventing/controlling pollution appropriate to position held on board,
• Introduce an effective pollution management scheme,
• Develop the correct attitude in ensuring compliance with pollution prevention requirements.

MARPOL 73/78 is an International Convention for the prevention of pollution at sea. The Convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from ships. The trainee will be informed of the operational and construction regulations introduced by MARPOL 73/78 and its six Annexes, with statistics from reputable industry and independent bodies, showing that these regulations, along with the international standards for seafarer training, have been instrumental in the continuous decline of oil pollution over the last years.

Every oil tanker of 150 gross tonnage and above and every ship of 400 gross tonnage and above other than an oil tanker, shall be provided with an Oil Record Book Part I (Machinery space operations). The trainee will be adequately informed of how to complete the ORB Part one, whenever any of the following machinery space operations takes place in the ship:

• Ballasting or cleaning of oil fuel tanks,
• Discharge of dirty ballast or cleaning water form oil fuel tanks,
• Collection and disposal of oil residues (sludge and other oil residues),
• Discharge overboard or disposal otherwise of bilge water which has been accumulated in machinery spaces, and
• Bunkering of fuel or bulk lubricating oil.

Also, every oil tanker of 150 gross tonnage and above shall be provided with an Oil Record Book Part II (Cargo/Ballast Operations). The trainee will be adequately informed of how to complete the ORB Part two, whenever any of the following cargo/ ballast operations takes place in the ship:

• Loading of oil cargo,
• Internal transfer of oil cargo during voyage,
• Unloading of oil cargo,
• Ballasting of cargo tanks and dedicated clean ballast tanks,
• Cleaning of cargo tanks including crude oil washing,
• Discharge of ballast except from segregated ballast tanks,
• Discharge of water from slop tanks,
• Closing of all applicable valves or similar devices after slop tank discharge operations,
• Closing of valves necessary for isolation of dedicated clean ballast tanks from cargo and Stripping lines after slop tank discharge operations, and
• Disposal of residues.

Revised Annex V of MARPOL 73/78 requires every ship of 100 Gross Tonnage and above and every ship certified to carry 15 persons or more, to carry a Garbage Management Plan. A Garbage Management Plan on board provides a systematic approach to the disposal and control of garbage in the marine environment. Scope of this plan is to provide compliance with MARPOL and Company’s policy on garbage management. The trainee will be benefit of the Garbage Management Plan’s written procedures for minimizing, collecting, storing, processing, and disposing of garbage, including the use of equipment on board.

Each ship, excluding those without means of propulsion, shall keep on board s ship specific Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). This Plan may form part of the Ship’s Safety Management System (SMS) and written in a working language or languages understood by ship’s personnel. Trainees will be adequately informed of the contents of a SEEMP in conjunction with the applicable requirements of Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78.

Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP)

According to regulation 37 of MARPOL73/78 Annex I, every oil tanker of 150 Gross Tonnage and above and every ship other than an oil tanker of 400 Gross Tonnage and above shall carry on board an Oil Pollution Emergency Plan approved by the Administration.

Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan (SMPEP)

Regulation 17 of Annex II of MARPOL 73/78, requires every ship of 150 Gross Tonnage and above that is certified to carry Noxious Liquid Substances in bulk, to carry on board a Pollution Shipboard Marine Emergency Plan for Noxious Liquid Substances approved by the Administration. Ships to which both regulations ( Reg. 37 of Annex I of MARPOL 73/78 and Reg. 17 of Annex II of MARPOL 73/78) apply, may have a combined plan, called a Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan, or SMPEP.

Vessel General Permit (VGP)

The VGP is a National Pollutant Release System (NPDES) Permit that authorizes, on a national basis, incidental discharges to the normal operation of non-military and non-recreational vessels of 79 feet in length and over. USA EPA requires vessels entering a 3-mile zone to fully comply with the VGP program. Trainees will be guided with respect to EPA requirements for discharging in US maters, to the procedures as per vessel specific arrangements, to the effective and simple record keeping and to easy access and instructions for the Annal VGP.

USCG Vessel Response Plan (VRP)

A vessel response plan (VRP) is a document that outlines what the vessel will do in the case of an offshore spill. VRPs are required by the United States Coast Guard for marine operators that are carrying certain quantities of chemicals and/or refined petroleum products.

The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM Convention), entered into force globally on the 8th of September, 2017. The Convention affects more than 99% of the world fleet and requires a Ballast Water Management Plan with a suitable staff training scheme. The main aim of this course is to familiarize candidates with the Convention so that they can contribute to compliance with the training requirements in the Convention. They will become familiar with ballast water treatment and exchange and understand the goal of eliminating the risks to the environment, human health, property, and resources arising from ships’ ballast water and sediments.

VOC emissions are harmful both for the environment and the industry. This course provides the training to the designated person as per VOC plan and provides a wealth of information to operational and management personnel involved with cargo operations.

The trainees will comprehend the nature of VOC emissions, as well as how these emissions can be reduced by means of specialized equipment, best practices, specific procedures and thorough planning and monitoring. They will also:

• Understand the nature of VOC emissions and their impact on the environment,
• Describe the available methods used onboard for VOC management,
• Comprehend ways to minimize VOC emissions,
• Recognize the contents of the VOC management plan.

Carrying solid bulk cargoes involves serious risks, which must be managed carefully to safeguard the crew and the ship. These risks include reduced ship stability, and even capsizing, due to cargo liquefaction; fire or explosion due to chemical hazards; and damage to ship structures due to poor loading procedures.

The main legislation governing safe carriage of solid bulk cargoes is the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code, which became mandatory on the 1st of January 2011, under the SOLAS Convention.

This course will help trainees to understand the IMSBC Code’s key requirements in managing the risks of carrying solid bulk cargoes and achieving compliance with SOLAS. It also outlines the precautions that should be taken before accepting cargoes for shipment and the procedures that should be followed for safe loading and carriage, and details for the primary hazards which are associated with the different types of solid bulk cargo. The trainees completing this course will be able to:

• identify risks associated with the carriage of solid bulk cargoes by sea,
• assess acceptability of consignments for safe shipment, especially Group A solid bulk cargoes,
• observe safe working practices in loading and carriage of solid bulk cargoes,
• observe ship and port security regulations related to the loading, carriage and unloading of solid bulk cargoes, and
• supervise the operation process of a certain cargo following regulations in the IMSBC Code.

In most cases, load and discharge operations take place between a ship and a port terminal. There can be cases however, when it can be useful to transfer cargo from one ship to another in the open sea; this is what a ship-to-ship operation is. In this type of operation, one vessel acts as the terminal whilst the other one will moor to it. Cargoes typically transferred this way include crude oil, liquefied gas (LPG or LNG) and petroleum products.

On completion of this course, trainees will be familiar with the internationally accepted safety standards and best practices to these kinds of operations.

Significant organizational change can be challenging. It often requires many levels of cooperation and may involve different independent entities within an organization. Developing a structured approach to change is critical, ensuring a beneficial transition while mitigating disruption.

Management of Change (MOC) is a systematic approach dealing with organizational change. It can be implemented in any workplace, especially for those that change their practices and processes from time to time. The goal of this course is to safeguard mariners from potential harm during crucial periods of transition.

Poor air quality and hazards posed by asphyxiates and toxic gases are some of the most common and deadly hazards faced especially in confined spaces on board ships. The scope of this training course is to provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to monitor and sample for airborne hazardous substances, to teach personnel when atmosphere monitoring is required, how to conduct atmosphere monitoring and how to determine if the atmosphere is safe to work in.

In most contexts, a risk is defined as “A combination of the probability, or frequency, of the occurrence of a defined hazard and the magnitude of the consequences of the occurrence.” As the marine environment is constantly changing, it is important to stay up to date on the latest risks involved in. Maritime Dynamic Risk Assessment is an important process that should be done regularly to ensure the safety of the crew and the protection of the marine environment. By engaging trainees in risk assessment scenarios, they will be able to identify any potential hazards before they become critical.

This course will give candidates in depth knowledge on preparing for an investigation, the investigation process itself, reporting, analysis and effectively communicating the outcomes and/or recommendations that stem from it. On completion of this course, participants will be able to demonstrate competence in:

• Understanding the reasons behind carrying out an investigation,
• How to collect physical and human evidence,
• Interview techniques,
•  Understanding causes of incidents and accidents,
• Understanding the human element,
• Conducting an accident/incident Investigation,
• Analyzing, root causes, using tools and techniques,
• Evaluation, report in writing and follow up of an incident/accident.

Prior to entering any piracy and armed robbery prone area, it is important to review the vessel security plan in light of latest information received, conduct a voyage specific risk assessment, brief and train the crew and prepare and test the vessel’s emergency communication plans.

This course aims at bringing to the attention of ship operators, masters and crews the precautions to be taken to reduce the risks of piracy on the high seas and armed robbery against ships at anchor, off ports or when underway through a coastal State’s territorial waters. It outlines steps that should be taken to reduce the risk of such attacks, possible responses to them and the vital need to report attacks, both successful and unsuccessful, to the authorities of the relevant coastal State and to the ships’ own Maritime Administration.

Operational use of Automatic Identification System (AIS) course is a training program for vessels’ Masters and Navigational Officers. Trainees completing this course will be able to:

• Understand the objectives of AIS,
• Understand how AIS works as a system,
• Understand the benefits and limitations of the system,
• Demonstrate competency in entering and checking ships,
• Demonstrate competency in the use of AIS as an additional awareness and collision avoidance,
• Familiarize themselves with a particular use of AIS.

Voyage planning, or passage planning/monitoring, is a complex operation regulated by the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention, and other International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines for onboard vessels trading internationally. Voyage planning is a process that helps to optimize ship routes, maintain crew safety, and coordinate traffic in and out of busy ports and harbors. This comprehensive course has been developed to be used by a vessel’s bridge team to determine the most favorable route, to identify potential problems or hazards along the route, and to adopt the best Bridge Management Practices to ensure the vessel’s safe passage.

Heavy weather is a major cause of delays and damage in the maritime industry. This costs time and money as well as adds risks to the crew in terms of injury or potential loss of life to the severity of the weather and the effects it has on the vessel.  This course introduces the meteorology behind heavy weather across the world's oceans and how to monitor and predict it at sea. Trainees will then explore how passage planning and monitoring can then be influenced by heavy weather, and how routing systems can be utilized to keep the vessel safe. Finally, they will look into the methods of navigating in heavy weather, including best bridge management practices and the use of radars.

Under the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, every ship must appoint a Ship Safety Officer who has the knowledge, experience, and skills to look over the important safety issues related to ship’s safety and crew’s well-being. The function of the Shipboard Safety Officer is to provide seafarers and the shipping company with the necessary advice and assistance to maintain a healthy and safe living and work environment on board ship. On completion of this course, trainees will be able to:

• Understand the requirements of the International Management System (ISM),
• Apply the requirements of the Safety Management System on board a ship (SMS),
• Organize safe operations on board a ship and prevention of pollution,
• Apply the methods of conducting additional training on board a ship for safety and environment protection,
• Investigate casualties and incidents.